Gordon Takes a Tumble
Robin Kingsland |director=David Mitton |producer=Phil Fehrle |narrator= Michael Angelis Alec Baldwin Michael Brandon |series=6 |series_no=6.17 |number=147 |released= * 8th October 2002 * 12th November 2002 * 4th February 2003 * 22nd March 2003 * 3rd March 2004 * 28th October 2005 * 29th October 2005 * 15th September 2006 * 9th September 2009 |previous=Jack Frost |next=Percy's Chocolate Crunch}} Gordon Takes a Tumble is the seventeenth episode of the sixth series. Plot None of the engines feel more important than Gordon. Salty rolls up teasing him that pulling trucks is a silly job for an express engine. Gordon brags that it would not be dignified for an express engine to pull trucks. Gordon attempts to explain what it means to Percy, but Salty interrupts, saying that it means someone is too big for their buffers and Gordon puffs furiously away. Later that night, the Docks is packed with trucks due to the fog covering the Island of Sodor causing confusion and delay. The Fat Controller comes to the sheds and orders Henry, Thomas and Percy to go to the Docks and Gordon to take the trucks somewhere where they will not be in the way, much to Gordon's shock. Gordon is waiting impatiently for his trucks, to show Salty how an express engine pulls them. Salty teases him again, but this time Gordon ignores him. The next day, as Gordon is puffing along the main line, a signalman forgets to switch a set of points from an old, rickety branch line. The signalman sees Gordon going to the branch line, knowing that the express trains cannot go there, but it is too late. The branch line is weak and rusty and even has a "go slow" sign to warn all the trains to do so, but Gordon ignores the sign and goes even faster. The old rails start to buckle as they cannot hold Gordon's weight, and he flies off the tracks and tumbles down the hill with his train. He ploughs through a dirt mound, a pile of tires and barrels (losing his tender and leaving it behind in the process), a barn and finally comes to a stop in a field in front of a scarecrow. Gordon feels very undignified and wonders what the Fat Controller will say. The Fat Controller arrives and tells Gordon off that he has only succeeded in showing Salty how silly it is to ignore "go slow" signs. Gordon is repaired and returns back to work, but is very unhappy with himself. Thomas cheers him up by saying that everyone makes mistakes. James tells Gordon that Salty has apologised for all of his teasing and Gordon apologises for being "too big for his buffers." All three engines give a jolly toot. Characters * Thomas * Henry * Gordon * James * Percy * Salty * Sir Topham Hatt * Annie and Clarabel * Butch * Mrs. Kyndley * Cyril the Fogman * The Dryaw Policeman * One member of the Railway Board * Big Mickey * The Storyteller Locations * Tidmouth Sheds * Brendam Docks * Sodor Shipping Company * The Lighthouse * The Old Tracks and The Farm Field Trivia * Stock footage from The Fogman is used. * The model of the scarecrow is on display at Drayton Manor at the Thomas and Friends Exhibition. * This is one of the six episodes of the sixth series re-narrated by Michael Brandon in the US and Michael Angelis in the UK with music composed by Robert Hartshorne. * The episode was released on The Fogman and Other Stories VHS/DVD a day before airing on television. This is also the only sixth series episode released directly to home video. * The barn Gordon crashes into is the same one Thomas crashed into in the fifth series episode Bye George! Goofs * In the first scene, Clarabel is facing the wrong way. * After Gordon ignores Salty, he has a lamp, but in the next scene it is gone. * In the shot of Gordon on the old branch line, a cable is attached to his coupling. * When Gordon derails, his trailing wheels are slightly coming off. * When Gordon's trucks come off the rails, they come off differently in certain shots. * As the trucks derail and tumble down the slope, the ground bounces up and down. * A wire is visible pulling Gordon at one point when he derailed. * In the first two shots, people are standing to the right of Thomas and Gordon respectively, but in the third shot, they have been replaced by cars. * In the UK re-narration of this episode, the American term "freight cars" is used where the waiting trucks at the docks are shown. Quotes * Salty: Pulling trucks/freight cars is a silly job. * Thomas: Why the rush, Gordon? * Gordon: If I must pull trucks/freight cars, then I'll show Salty how an express engine pulls trucks/freight cars. * Salty: Careful, Captain. You don't wanna get too big for your buffers. _______________________________________________________________________________________ * Gordon: (rattles through the junction) ''That's strange, I'm on the branch line. * '''Signalman: '''Oh no! Express trains aren't supposed to go that way! _______________________________________________________________________________________ * '''Gordon:' (looks at the "go slow" sign) ''I'm an express engine, I don't go slow! * ''(He picks up his speed, causing the rails on the branch line to buckle, Gordon and his train derails) * Gordon: OHHH, HELP!!! (tumbles off the tracks and into a field, crashing through buildings and debris) _______________________________________________________________________________________ * The Fat Controller: Well, Gordon, you wanted to show Salty a thing or two and you've certainly done that. You've shown him how silly it is to ignore "go slow" signs. * Gordon: Sorry, Sir. Merchandise * Take Along * Books - Gordon Takes The Tumble, Gordon in Need and Do Not Criticize Me * Magazine Stories - Too Big for his Buffers! In Other Languages Home Media Releases * The Complete Series 6 DVD Packs * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends/The Fogman Double Pack * Classic Collection * Double DVD Giftset US * Percy's Chocolate Crunch and Other Thomas Adventures * Gordon Takes a Tumble (Take Along DVD) * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 6 DVD Packs * Totally Thomas Volume 1 AUS * Rusty Saves the Day * The Complete Series 6 DVD Packs * Complete Series 1-10 * The Great Adventures of Thomas and Friends * Trainloads of Thomas Fun * Series Five and Series Six Double Pack MYS * Gordon Takes a Tumble and Other Thomas Adventures * Scaredy Engines and Other Adventures SWE * Percy's Chocolate Dip NOR/DK * Percy's Chocolate Crash DK DVD Boxsets * Danish DVD Boxset (2008) ITA * The Jet Engine (Italian DVD) JPN * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 6 Vol.5 * Will Not Stop HK * Thomas and Friends Volume 15 (VCD) * Thomas Friends Volume 4 (DVD) THA * Thomas and Friends - Volume 21 (Thai DVD) TWN * Thomas and Friends Volume 15 (Taiwanese DVD) }} es:Gordon se Cae he:גורדון מתהפך ja:すべったゴードン pl:Gabryś Dostaje Nauczkę ru:Урок для Гордона Category:Series 6 episodes Category:Episodes Category:Direct-to-Home Video